


How Ginny Got her Groove Back

by Ellabee15



Series: It's all in the Pitch [8]
Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2018-11-02 09:26:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10941633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellabee15/pseuds/Ellabee15
Summary: Ginny runs from her fiance on their wedding day and goes to her honeymoon to escape the stifling reality ofher life. A chance encounter with a broken hearted stranger who was left at the altar might set her on the right track.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Bawson AUs](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9321188) by [Ellabee15](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellabee15/pseuds/Ellabee15). 



Mike dumped his bag on the bed and glared around the bungalow. At the time Rachel had booked this stupid honeymoon, he'd been too in love to realize how incredibly stupid getting a house over water was. She'd insisted on Tahiti and a house on stilts because it was romantic. But that wasn't taking into account that this house was on fucking stilts. He flopped down and glared at the ceiling, wondering how the hell he was supposed to deal with 18 days of this. He could hear the ocean underneath him and groaned slightly. It was making him dizzy. He'd taken the tickets to their honey moon after Rachel had dumped him at the altar for that asshole to spite her, but it looked like he would be the one punished. There was a yell and splashing noise outside. Mike jerked to his feet and walked out. Looking at the water he saw a woman emerge. The sun was setting and made her almost glow as she swam over to the bungalow directly next to his. She'd jumped out, why, Mike couldn't tell, but she was wearing a wedding dress.

Just what he needed, he thought to himself as he went back inside. He was stuck in a couple's suite with nothing to look forward to but tons of activities that newlyweds would do and a crazy neighbor who apparently liked to pitch herself into the sea in wedding dresses.

 

 

 

Ginny hadn't changed out of the dress she'd been wearing when she was supposed to marry Trevor; she'd been too full of nervous energy. She'd run. It was incredibly stupid and immature, she knew, but...Trevor had been stifling. He'd already planned out the next 3 years of their lives, without first asking her what she'd wanted. His mother hated her because she was "too spirited" and "will be a terrible mother Trevor." Then she'd had the audacity to be upset at the rehearsal dinner because her mother had brought the man she'd cheated on her dead father with. Trevor had been less than understanding. She should have smiled and pretended to be happy. She should have forced herself to play a part, because that was more important than what she wanted, how she felt. She'd realized, as she'd stood in the entrance of the church, that if she didn't do something, she'd spend the rest of her life pushing aside her feelings for others, suppressing her ideas and desires, putting off her career to support Trevor's. She'd locked eyes with him as she froze, unable to begin her walk down the aisle. It was almost as though he realized what she was about to do before she did because he opened his mouth and shouted her name just before she turned and ran.

She'd run, kicking off her heels and booking it into the limo where their travel itinerary and bags were waiting for them so they wouldn't have anything to do after the reception. For once Ginny had been grateful for Trevor's obsession with plans. She'd asked the driver to take her to the airport. Leaving his bags and the ring, she took her passport and ticket and went to Tahiti.

She ignored the strange looks she got from being in her wedding dress. She'd arrived at the hotel and checked in. Her bungalow was in an isolated part of the resort and there was only one other close by. She climbed in and looked out at the ocean. She tried to breathe, but she felt herself panicking. She began pacing back and forth, wondering if she'd made a mistake. She and Trevor had their flaws, but maybe she should have talked to him. She made the mistake of turning her phone back on and glimpsed the texts and missed calls before the blood rushed to her ears. She tried to calm herself, but it wasn't helping. She flung the phone into the ocean. Then screamed her frustration and jumped in after it. She looked up, watching as the water closed above her. It was still , calming. She wondered what if would be like to freeze this moment, remain suspended in the calm of the sea. But already her body was going up. Her head broke the surface. She looked around, noting that the sun was setting. She'd made her decision and now she had to live with it. Messy as it was, it had been the right call. She and Trevor wouldn't have worked. She pulled herself up on the dock and glimpsed a man in the bungalow next to hers turning away from her. She looked up at the sky, laughing as she thought what her wedding planner, Amelia, would say if she saw the ruins she'd made of herself. She could feel the makeup running down her face and her dress was becoming stiff with the salt water. She stood and climbed up into the bungalow and peeled off the dress, wiping her face and stepped into the shower for. Feeling the weight of the day's events on her shoulders, she collapsed on the bed. She'd deal with the consequences of her actions when she went home. For now...she had 18 days of unplugging herself from the world and figuring out who she wanted to be.

 

 

 

 

Mike hated this place. Everywhere were couples or people with kids. It was almost as though the entire resort was in on some secret plan to mock the only lonely man in the place. He stabbed at his breakfast, taking his frustration out on his bacon. There was a commotion at the door and he glanced up to see the woman from last night, wearing workout clothes. She was smiling and sweaty, having clearly just finished a run and almost collided with a family of four.

"Ginny?" The mother's eyes widened. "Ginny Baker?"

Wedding dress woman gave her a small smile. "Evelyn."

"How've you been?" Evelyn grabbed Ginny Baker and pulled her into a hug. "We're sorry we couldn't make it to the wedding." She stopped the hug abruptly and pulled back. "Is this your honeymoon? Where's Trevor?" The question made a shadow pass over Ginny's face. Mike looked at her with renewed interest; she wasn't wearing a ring and she'd clearly been alone the night before when she'd taken a swan dive into the ocean.

Before Ginny could answer, a member of the hotel staff walked over and said something to Evelyn's husband.

"Babe we've got that appointment." He said.

"Right, the sea turtles." Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Well, we are having dinner tonight where you will show us all the pictures and give me all the details."

"I can be spared the details." The husband said, pulling Ginny into a bear hug. "You look good, Gin."

"Of course she does." Evelyn said. "She's on her honeymoon." Ushering her sons and husband out, she hugged Ginny before leaving. Ginny stayed, rooted in place for a few seconds before a look of...Mike wouldn't say it was calm, more like resignation, crossed her face. She walked over to the breakfast buffet and began heaping eggs, bacon, fruit and a waffle on her plate. She was beautiful, that much was undeniable and mysterious enough to distract Mike from his misery. It was also quite clear that she was going through some kind of personal struggle, which helped him immensely. At least he wouldn't be the only lonely person in this tropical land of couples and families. She froze and looked up, her eyes meeting Mike's and he realized he'd been caught. Her eyes narrowed.

"What?" She asked. "Never seen a woman eat before?"

"Well I imagine it takes a lot of energy to jump into the ocean in Vera Wang." He shot back. She looked momentarily surprised. He smirked. "What, never met a man who knew what a Vera Wang looked like?"

"Not one who learned it willingly." She walked over and paused next to his table. "And I definitely didn't expect it from a man who wears plaid on a tropical island." She tilted her head. "You're the man from the bungalow next to mine." She frowned, running her hand over her chin. "Though you didn't have that last night." She meant the stubble. Mike had decided to stop shaving in defiance of Rachel who'd always hated anything resembling a 5 o'clock shadow.

"And you're the crazy lady who screams before diving into the water fully clothed."

She shrugged. "How else am I going to get people to remember me?"

Mike suppressed a smile as she sat across from him. "What makes you think I want company?"

"You clearly don't." Ginny shrugged. "But neither do I. This way, people will think we're talking to each other and won't engage us in conversation. We can ignore the world in peace."

Mike had to admit her plan had pretty sound logic. "I guess your idea also has the added bonus of making it look like you're sharing that plate." He motioned to her food. She rolled her eyes. "Although," he looked at the bacon. "I do require a toll." He snatched a strip from her plate. She gaped at him.

"So that's how it's gonna be."

"Uh huh." Mike smirked as he took a bite. "Mm. Food is so much better when it's stolen."

Ginny rolled her eyes and grabbed her fork, digging into her plate. They ate in companionable silence. It was nice, Mike realized, to just be able to sit with someone and not say anything. She finished in record time and reached for her coffee.

"So." She said, standing. "Same time tomorrow?"

She was leaving, Mike shrugged. "As long as you're able to pay the toll."

"Sure..." She trailed off. "I don't even known your name."

"Mike." He said, holding out his hand. "Mike Lawson."

"Ginny Baker." She smiled, shaking his hand. "Well Mike it's been fun ignoring people with you." She turned and almost slammed into a member of the hotel staff.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lawson." He smiled at them. "Your couple's spa day is set to begin in 5 minutes. I'm here to lead you to the spa."

"Oh." Ginny seemed taken aback. "I'm not-"

Mike had no idea why, but he found himself smiling at the staff member. "We just need one second." The staff member backed away, hoovering about 5 feet away. "I don't know if you have plans, but my..." He wasn't sure how to define Rachel at this point and he didn't want to explain the fiasco of his failed wedding to her. "I don't think I want to be alone for this and I'm going to look like an idiot if I'm by myself."

Ginny glanced at the hotel staffer before looking at Mike. "What was your back up plan if I hadn't invaded your table?"

"Didn't think that far." Mike said.

She nodded, before turning to the hotel staffer. "I'm sorry, my husband didn't tell my about this." She turned and gave him a smile that made Mike's stomach flop. "He's such a sap, surprising me with a spa day."

"That I am." Mike said, shaking his head and getting to his feet.

"I just wish." Ginny got closer to him. "That you would have warned me before I got all sweaty." She put a hand on his chest before turning to the staffer. "Gotta keep in shape to keep up with this one."

"Too much information." Mike mumbled as the poor man in front of them flushed.

"Sorry." Ginny whispered.

"If you'll follow me."

 

 

 

Whoever the real Mrs. Lawson was, Ginny thought as she shut her eyes and let the masseuse work their magic, she had no idea what she was missing.

"So, how did you two meet?" The man massaging Mike asked.

"Uh." Mike looked over at her in alarm. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Baby," she cooed. "Come on, you remember." She smiled at her masseuse. "He's always forgetting."

"I didn't forget." Mike grumbled. "You just like to think you tell it better."

"That's because I do." Ginny smirked, getting into the game they were playing. "We were waiting for the same bus and it was pouring."

"It wasn't that bad." Mike mumbled.

"And he offered me his umbrella." Ginny ignored him.

"And she said, 'I'm so grateful, I could kiss you'." Mike said in a falsetto.

"That is not what I said, or what I sound like." Ginny rolled her eyes. She looked over at him. "But it was one of those moments where suddenly everything becomes clear...I don't know why I did it, but...I kissed him."

Mike was looking at her, slightly dazed. "And then the sun came out." He added. "So I had to get her number."

"That is so romantic." The woman massaging Ginny's shoulders said.

"Yeah." Mike said, looking down at the ground. "It is."

Ginny swallowed and put her head back down. The rest of the massage continued in silence. After an hour they were given robes and left to wander around the spa. "So." Mike said, as they went over to the hot tub. "That was an interesting story."

Ginny scoffed. "Yeah, well you fake married a smart woman." She smirked. "I had to make something up, seeing as you were gaping at them like a fish."

"I was not." Mike said.

"Were too." She mimed opening and closing her mouth. Mike let out a surprised barking laugh. They entered the sauna. Ginny gulped and wrapped the robe a bit tighter around herself. She hadn't been wearing anything under the robe. Mike's expression said he was probably in the same predicament.

"Toss me one of those towels." He said. "And I won't look if you don't." Ginny nodded, grabbing two of the towels. Tossing him one, she turned her back and waited until she heard Mike fumbling with the sash before slipping out of her robe and wrapping herself with the towel.

"I'm good." She said.

"Me too." Mike responded. They turned, looking at each other. Ginny motioned towards the bench. They sat, Ginny fiddled with the edge of her towel before asking:

"So where is the real, Mrs. Lawson?"

Mike glared down at his hands. "There is no Mrs. Lawson." He mumbled. Ginny winced. More silence. She'd felt relaxed after the massage, but a tension had set in ever since they'd made up their fake story about how they'd met and she didn't know what to do.

"She left me." He said. "This was supposed to be our honeymoon, but..." He exhaled. "She realized she'd rather be marrying the man she was cheating on me with...and she told everyone that at the church."

Ginny gulped. He'd been left at the altar...like she'd done to Trevor. Her blood ran cold, even with the heat of the sauna. She felt guilty. No, she told herself. Not like she'd done to Trevor. That had been a question of the survival of her sanity and independence. What this woman had done to Mike was inexcusable.

"I'm sorry." She said. Mike ran his hands over his knees.

"The problem is, she booked us for every damn activity they have here." He put back his head, looking at the ceiling. "I suppose that should have been a clue that something was wrong. It was almost as though she wanted us to be too busy to spend any real time together."

Ginny thought of her and Trevor's complete lack of itinerary and how he'd jokingly declared that he hadn't planned on letting her out of his sight and his bed. Not theirs, his. The thought sent a wave of nausea through her and she braced herself on the wooden bench of the sauna. "If you need someone to make you look like less of a weirdo loner..." She heard herself begin to say and stopped, letting her offer hang. She'd probably over stepped. She could feel Mike's eyes on her as he examined her thoughtfully.

"I might take you up on that." He said softly. "That is, if you can stand to pretend to be Mrs. Lawson."

Ginny let out a surprised laugh. "Well, it'll be difficult, but I think I can suffer through it."

 

 

 

 

He was probably out of his mind, he thought to himself as he fiddled with his tie. The restaurant Rachel had made reservations for was the fanciest the resort had to offer and didn't allow people to enter without nice clothes. He sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. He was definitely crazy. Ginny was obviously running from something. The woman they'd run into that morning had mentioned a honeymoon, yet Ginny had shown no indication that she was with anyone else. Maybe that was why he was so willing to open up to her; she seemed like she was familiar with loneliness and being hurt by people close to her.

He walked out of his bungalow. Ginny was already on the dock, wearing a short, black dress, her hair out and falling down her shoulders. She turned and smiled. "Hey."

He forced a smile on his face. "Hey yourself."

They walked in silence to the restaurant. When they got there, they were seated immediately.

"Can I interest you in the wine list?" The waiter asked. Mike was relieved that his look of panic was mirrored in Ginny's eyes.

"Whatever red you'd recommend." She smiled at him and glanced over at Mike who nodded. They both laughed as soon as the waiter left them alone with the menus.

"Terrible at ordering wine?" He asked. Ginny nodded, looking at the menu.

"I only drink it with my friend Evelyn and she's an expert so I never have to make my own choices." She said. "I'm usually a beer kinda girl." Mike's eyebrows went up.

"After my own heart." He looked at the menu. "My..." the word ex stuck in his throat. "She handled all the wine orders. But she always liked white." He settled on the steak and shut the menu. Ginny did the same. The waiter came back, breaking the tension the mention of Rachel had created. "I feel like I've spilled enough of my guts." He accepted the glass of wine he handed to him. "What's your tragic origin stories."

"My parents were murdered leading me to begin a crusade against crime to avenge their deaths." She smirked, but the joke fell a little forced. She took a sip of her glass, waiting for the waiter to leave. "You might not like me much when I tell you."

"Really?" Mike tilted his head. "Why do you say that?" Ginny exhaled and seemed to be about to say something, but shook her head.

"No reason." She said. "There's not much to say. I'm North Carolina, coming to the tropics to escape my problems."

"Man trouble?" Mike asked.

"What is it with men assuming everything is about them?" Ginny said. "As though women weren't capable of existing in a world where our every action didn't revolve around a man."

"See," Mike said. "I'd believe you, but then there's the wedding dress thing."

"Ah." Ginny picked up her glass. "Because of course, that dress had to be for a man."

Mike opened his mouth, then closed it, chastened. "Sorry, I shouldn't have made assumptions."

"No you shouldn't." Ginny took a sip of her wine. "But it is man trouble that I'm avoiding." She met his eyes with a smug look of satisfaction. She'd set him up, hook, line and sinker. He couldn't help but laugh. Somewhere in the back of his mind he noticed it was the first time since the wedding that he'd felt this unburdened. "It's...complicated." She murmured.

"Complicated how?" He said. Ginny hesitated. "Don't hold out on me."

She ducked her head. "I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it." She said, her voice soft. "I'm still trying to figure things out myself."

Whatever had gone wrong with this man had clearly affected her deeply and Mike knew better than to press. The waiter came and took their order.

"So, what do you do when you're not eating mountains of food?" Mike asked.

"Sport's writer." Ginny said. "At least I'm trying to be. I actually had this amazing internship lined up, but..." She paused. Mike waited for her to continue. "It's in Sam Diego and..." She stopped again. "It's the opportunity of a life time."

"What's stopping you?" He asked.

She looked at her fingers. "Well for one thing, it's on the other side of the country and I don't know anyone there."

"That's where you're wrong." Mike smiled, leaning back. "I live in San Diego."

"Really?" Ginny looked at him in surprise.

"Yup," He shrugged. "Part time, anyways. I'd moved to LA..." He stopped, not wanting to mention Rachel. "But my work keeps me moving. I've got two clinics that specialize in sport's related injuries." He shrugged. "If you decide to move to San Diego I promise to give you an exclusive. I've got ins with all the major California sport's teams and lots of other famous athletes."

She picked at the napkin in front of her, seeming to think about it. "I don't..." She exhaled, before meeting his eyes. "Thank you, but I don't want to be dependent on anyone."

"Dependent?" Mike was taken aback. "I didn't mean it like that." He'd never expected anything for his offer and he wondered why Ginny would believe otherwise. She was young, what could possibly have happened that she thought there would be strings attached. "I don't need anything, hell I feel like I owe you." He leaned back. "There are probably way better things you could be doing than hanging out with me."

Ginny smiled. "Well the fancy food helps."

The rest of the meal passed relatively easily. They had both played baseball as kids (Ginny quickly set him straight on the fact that yes, she'd played baseball not softball) He'd had to stop because he'd messed his leg up during a college game and she'd let the game lapse somewhere around middle school. She still loved sports and pitched to her friends every now and again (apparently she could throw a pretty mean screw ball, something he had to see) and was a Padres fan. He learned she had an older brother, Will. She liked music and dancing. On his part, Mike had no problem telling silly stories about his time playing college ball and the injury to his knee that cost him his shot at being a professional ballplayer.

"You scared that poor waiter." Mike remarked as they walked back to their respective bungalows. Ginny pouted.

"I specifically asked for no cilantro." She looked up at the sky. "I hate cilantro."

"You know, I may have figured that out sometime during that speech you gave him." Mike laughed as she grimaced.

"I should apologize."

"Eh, I tipped him pretty well." He shook his head. "It was the most eloquent rant on an herb I've ever heard."

She took a mock bow. "It's a beautiful night." She said, moving away from him to spin. Mike had to agree. The moon was full and it added to the lanterns that lit the docks. Ginny looked ethereal as she looked up at the sky. Then an impish look of glee over took her expression. "Wanna go for a swim?" She asked.

Mike shook his head. "There's probably sharks in the water."

"Not a chance." Ginny motioned towards the edge of the lagoon. "They've got some type of netting that keeps the sharks out."

"Right, because that worked so well in Jaws 3."

"There was a Jaws 3" Ginny asked. "Wait, there was a Jaws 2?"

"How old are you?" Mike asked. "There were 4"

Ginny's eyebrows arched. "4?" She said slowly. "Let me guess; you went to see everyone."

"Yup." He smirked. "They got so bad, it was like piece of modern performance art, you have to watch them." He looked at the ocean.

"You're stalling, old man." Ginny smirked.

"No, I'm just looking out for you." Mike said. "The rule states that the pretty girl who jumps into the water gets eaten first."

Ginny's eyes practically lit up. "You think I'm pretty?" She teased. Mike shoved his hands his pockets and didn't respond. She put her hand on his arm. "Come on." She said, tugging him to the edge of the dock. "Be spontaneous with me." She grinned and Mike had truly never seen such a dazzling smile. He was so distracted that he didn't notice she'd pushed him until he was flailing his arms in the air and crashing into the water. The first thing he'd heard when he emerged was the sound of Ginny's laughter. He spit out a mouthful of water and splashed her. She jumped in after him, splashing him right back. He watched as she floated, shaking every two seconds with laughter.

"I had fun tonight." he said, earnestly as they walked outside her bungalow. She smiled, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Me too, Mike." She turned and walked to her door.

"Um, Dolphins." He blurted out. She turned and arched an eyebrow. "Rachel had us booked to swim with dolphins tomorrow." He muttered. Ginny nodded.

"You'd better shave then, cuz that thing on your face might scare them."

 

 

 

 

Ginny arrived first on the beach, kicking at the sand and enjoying the feeling of sun on her shoulders.

"Hey, Ginny." A voice called from behind her. She turned to look at Mike who was carrying something in his hand. "Think fast." He tossed her a baseball. She caught it, smirking as she rolled it in her hand. "I figured we could run a few pitches afterwards." He said as he stopped next to her. She realized he was holding a catcher's glove. "See if you can really throw a screwball."

"You sure your knees can handle it?" She asked, teasing. Mike rolled his eyes, running his fingers over the glove. Ginny snorted as she took in the giant "Welcome to Tahiti" on the side.

"Hey, it was all they had in the gift shop." Mike muttered. Ginny gripped the ball, letting her muscles readjust to the feel of leather between her fingers.

"I guess this'll have to do." She said.

"Oh you guess." Mike scoffed.

"Come on." She pulled at his arm. "Don't you have some aquatic mammals to traumatize with your face hair?" The beard was still there. Mike ran a hand over his jaw.

"Hey, I really like this." He said. "I might keep it after I get back to San Diego."

"You look like you should be living in a cave." Ginny muttered as they walked over to the dolphin enclosure.

"Hey, whatever keeps me out of the rain." Mike shot back.

"Fire must have been very exciting for you." Ginny remarked.

Mike hummed in amusement.

 

 

 

Ginny had laughed for almost an hour after one of the dolphins snorted water in Mike's face after coming into contact with his jaw.

"It's not funny." He muttered as they went up to lunch.

"Depends what side of the dolphin you were on." Ginny said.

"Uh huh." Mike said. "We'll see who's laughing after we see that screwball of yours."

Ginny tapped her chin. "Hmm. Still going to be me."

"Then let's make this interesting." Mike said. "Pitch 5 balls straight to my glove and I'll let you decide what we do after dinner tonight."

"Who says I was planning on having dinner with you?" The second she said it, she regretted it. The look of pure disappointment and resignation on Mike's face was heart breaking. "Kidding, Mike." She said. "When I win..." She tilted her head. "We're going dancing."

Mike scoffed. "I don't dance, Ginny."

"Well then, you better learn." She tossed the ball in the air, catching it and grinning at him. "Because I plan to teach you a lesson in humility, Mike Dolphin terror Lawson."

"That dolphin was trying to communicate with me." Mike grumbled. "He was trying to say that you aren't as funny as you think you are."

"Figures that you would have learned how to speak dolphin, what with having a mouthful of its germs after it came in contact with that jaw wire you call a beard." Ginny shot back.

Mike blinked. "You're mean when you're hungry." He muttered. "Though considering how much you eat-"

"Hey." Ginny laughed, playfully shoving him. He grabbed her around the waist.

"I will feed you to the dolphins." He said.

"They don't eat people." She shot back as she struggled against him. "Didn't you learn that listening to Jaws on your radio when you were a kid? Or did you not have reception in the mountains?" Mike scoffed and loosened his hold, leaving his arm around her waist as they walked into the blissfully air conditioned dining area. Ginny let out a small contented sigh. It had been a while since she'd felt this free, this unencumbered and had so much fun.

"AUNT GINNY"

She nearly had the air knocked out of her as Gabe and Marcus tackled her. Mike looked at them in shock and amusement.

"Boys." She gasped as they hugged her, looking around for Evelyn feeling a small prickle of nervousness. Evelyn didn't know about the wedding disaster...and she had Trevor's number. "Where are your parents?"

"Right here." Evelyn's eyes were narrowed as she took in Mike standing next to Ginny. "Boys, let her breathe."

Ginny swallowed nervously before smiling. "Hey, Ev."

"Hey, Ginny." She looked at her. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah." Ginny shrugged. "Just going to lunch."

"I can see that." Evelyn said. "Boys, go over to your dad."

They pouted and backed away from Ginny before going over to a far table where Blip was sitting. Evelyn smiled at Mike. "I don't think we've met. Evelyn Sanders and you must be the reason Ginny ran away from her fiance in the middle of their wedding."

Mike's entire figure tensed as he looked at her. "Ginny?" He asked softly.

"Evelyn." Ginny growled.

"I talked to Trevor yesterday." Evelyn said. "I wanted to ask him if you two wanted to have dinner together... but he told me he was in North Carolina trying to figure out what to do with all your wedding presents because you never even made it into the church before bolting." She put her hands on her hips. "What happened?"

"I should go." Mike mumbled, walking away.

"Mike, wait." Ginny said. He looked at her, hurt evident in his eyes, then turned and kept walking. Ginny looked back at Evelyn. "That was unnecessary."

"Unnecessary?" Evelyn said. "Three days ago you were supposed to commit yourself to Trevor and you ran away and now you're doing I don't know what with some random guy."

"He's..." Ginny shook her head. "Trevor and I..." She swallowed. "Evelyn, he was..."

"Was what?" Evelyn asked.

"He didn't love me, okay?" She shouted. "He loved this version of me and we'd been together for so long and I was tired, Ev. Tired of trying to get him to see me, accept me, understand me. He was already naming our kids and completely dismissed my career, because his was more important and was planning on moving us to Arizona and had bought the house, the furniture. I didn't even..." She let out a humorless laugh. "I didn't even get to pick my own damn wedding dress because his mother told me what he would want to see me in and bought it for me." Evelyn's arms wrapped around her and she led her out of the dining room into a hall. Ginny pressed her forehead against her friend's shoulder.

"Honey why didn't you say anything?"

"Because everyone was so happy for us." Ginny mumbled. "I thought...I thought something was wrong with me for not being happy too." She could feel tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. "I just...I saw him at the end of the aisle and...I realized I wasn't happy, I was scared. I shouldn't be scared of my husband, I should love him." She looked at her hands. "So I ran."

Evelyn pulled her into a hug.

 

 

 

Mike found himself at the tennis courts, using the ball machine as a baseball delivery service. The resort was apparently planning on adding batting cages, but hadn't expanded yet. So he was left to look like an idiot in the middle of the tennis court with a baseball bat, swinging at tennis balls. He didn't know why he was so upset about; he'd only known Ginny for a few days and yet...the fact that he'd traveled all this way to get away from the reality of Rachel leaving him only to stumble on another person who'd done the same thing was just his rotten luck. So he kept swinging, ignoring the wrongness of the weight of a tennis ball hitting the bat and the weird noise it made. He focused on the rhythm of the swing and the motion of his shoulders. Letting the noise of the machine drown out the sound of Ginny's laughter as the dolphin snorted in his face. Then he remembered something else...Ginny's scream before she'd jumped into the water in her wedding dress. The fearful way she'd danced around her personal life and her quick assumption that his offer of helping her in San Diego would come at a price. There was more going on than met the eye. She was trying to escape something as much as he was. Why else would she be in a tennis court 3 rows down from him, hurling tennis balls at a wall? He froze, looking over his shoulder and confirming that, yes she was doing just that...except she wasn't throwing; she was pitching. He lowered his bat and watched as she pulled her leg up and hurled a ball directly at the wall, the tennis ball bouncing. She picked up another from the ground next to her, centered herself, then threw again. Mike was spell bound, so much so that he forgot about the automatic ball machine until it beaned him in the neck. He glared at it and shut it off.

Either Ginny hadn't noticed him, or she was ignoring him. She continued, her focus on a spot on the wall. "Again." She whispered through gritted teeth. "Again." He glanced at the floor of his court where the abandoned glove and baseball were lying. A part of him wanted to walk over there and offer to catch for her, but something held him back. Instead he backed away and cleaned up the tennis balls. Putting them into the dispenser, he left the court.

He avoided her the next day, going to breakfast when she was on her run and hiding himself in a random quiet room where people came to read with an ocean view.

"You're Mike, right?"

He looked up from the random magazine he'd picked up to look busy. Evelyn's husband was standing in front of him. "Blip Sanders, I think you met my wife yesterday."

"Yeah." Mike replied, holding out his hand. "Mike Lawson."

"Mind if I sit here?" He asked, motioning to the seat next to Mike. "I'm hiding from my kids. You bring them to an island vacation and all they can do is complain it's not Disney world."

Mike nodded. Blip sat and looked out at the ocean. Silence fell. Mike found himself wondering if it was a coincidence that Blip found him, and if not, why he wasn't just saying what he wanted to say. He and Evelyn were obviously close to Ginny if their boys referred to her as "Aunt Ginny." He wondered how they'd met. He wondered how Ginny was doing. He wanted to know more about this Trevor. The silence was making him itch.

"Do you know..." He stopped as Blip looked over at him. "I mean..." He wasn't sure what he was trying to ask. "When-"

"Evelyn was Ginny's RA her freshman year of college." Blip said, seeming to know exactly what Mike wanted to know. "She and I were already a thing. She found her after..." he paused, sighing. "Look, man. Ginny's been through some pretty tough times. Tougher than any 23 year old should have to deal with. I'm not going to tell you about them, because it's not my place, but I see her as my little sister." He drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. "And she's never smiled the way she was smiling with you yesterday, not even with Trevor."

"What happened with them?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Blip said. "I never thought he was going to be more than a college boyfriend, but all of a sudden she's there with a ring on her finger and talking about moving to Arizona even though she'd gotten the opportunity of a lifetime in San Diego." He shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder if he didn't offer to marry her to make sure he could keep her." He looked at Mike. "I'm sorry if Ev scared you away, she's a bit..."

"Terrifying?" Mike supplied. Blip smirked.

"She's protective." He corrected. "And she doesn't want you to think less of Ginny because of her."

 

 

 

 

It was Ginny's third day at the tennis courts. Her days had taken on a type of routine. Run, breakfast, hang out with the boys so Ev and Blip could have some alone time. Lunch. Pitch until she was hungry or the sun came down or she was tired.

"You call that a screwball?" A voice said from behind her. She lost her balance and her pitch went wild. She turned to see Mike leaning against the entrance of the doorway, holding two gloves and a baseball.

"I call that being distracted." She said. "And have you ever tried pitching with a tennis ball?"

Mike snorted and tossed her a glove. Walking towards the opposite end of the court, he squatted down, holding his glove in front of him. She pulled on the glove and rolled the ball in her hand. Concentrating on Mike's glove, she took a deep breath and let the ball loose, hitting it directly in the center of his glove. There was a momentarily look of surprise on his face, which was transformed into a look of encouragement. He tossed her the ball back, Ginny pitched again. Mike caught it, looking down at the ball before shaking his head and throwing it back. "That is definitely a screwball." He said.

"Don't sound so shocked." Ginny said, throwing. The ball went straight to the center of Mike's glove. He tossed it back. Ginny pitched. It went a little more to the left, but Mike caught it anyway. Tossing it back. He waited for her next pitch. She bit the inside of her mouth and threw. It hit his glove again.

"That's 5." He said softly. Ginny blinked. He was looking at her with apprehension. Right, the bet he'd made. She looked at the ground.

"I'm guessing Evelyn talked to you." She murmured.

"Blip, actually." Mike said. "Nice guy."

"Yeah." Ginny mumbled. Pulling the glove off her hand, walked over to Mike with the full intention of handing it back. Whatever Blip had told him had probably made him feel sorry for her. Mike looked at her, bemused.

"You done already?"

"You just feel bad for me." She said.

"No." He said. "I feel bad for myself." He tilted his head. "I'm a bit self obsessed, especially considering current events. I mean..." he sighed. "Ginny, I admit that when Evelyn said you'd walked out on your fiance at the altar, I..."

"Freaked out?" Ginny supplied. Mike huffed.

"I did not freak out." He muttered. "I..." he sighed. "I...I just automatically assumed you did it for the same reasons she did. I should have listened to your side of things before making assumptions. Hell, it's probably the reason my marriage didn't happen." He shifted. "It was a lot easier to be miserable and alone with you. So in the interest of being extremely selfish, I'm sorry and will you please pretend to be my wife again?"

Ginny tilted her head. "We're going dancing tonight." She said.

Mike grimaced. "Right." He said. "We're doing that." He sighed. "Why didn't you go pro?"

Ginny bit her lip, "I chose the dress." She said.

 

 

 

 

The resort's night club was loud and obnoxious. Mike felt old, surrounded by drunken 20 somethings that were laughing and drinking. The whole point of getting married to Rachel was so he wouldn't have to do this anymore. Then Ginny slammed into his side, full force.

"Come on, Mr. Lawson." She teased, tugging on his arm. "You said you'd dance."

He sighed, hating the song that was playing. "This isn't music, it's the soundtrack to an aneurysm." He muttered as she pulled him onto the dance floor. Ginny couldn't dance. At least not the way the other women in the club were dancing. She didn't care who was watching her. Mike froze, content to simply watch the lights on her as she swung her head and grinned at him.

"You're still not moving." She said. He side stepped. "Mike." She groaned.

The song stopped and Mike let out a sigh of relief that was quickly replaced by a feeling of dread as a slow song began. Ginny moved closer, swaying slowly. Mike held her close, moving with her slowly. "Our song was going to be Bleeding love." She mumbled. She meant Trevor. Mike swallowed.

"Sounds violent."

She hummed.

"Ours was going to be Beauty and the Beast." He said. She tilted her head, a lazy smile on her lips.

"That was pre beard?"

"Really funny." He said. They moved off the dance floor, out onto the balcony, still dancing. The cool night air blew in Mike's face and Ginny shivered.

"I would've never pegged you for a Disney guy."

"I am full of surprises." He replied, suddenly aware of how much closer she'd gotten. She looked up and met his eyes, a smile teasing the corner of her lips, her dimples peeking out. Her eyes were wide and sparkled.

"So, what would you choose for our song?" She asked. He gaped at her. "What? It might come up over the next few days and how stupid would it be if I said something beautiful and romantic and you went for whatever Mozart opera was popular in your day."

Mike leaned his head on her shoulder as she laughed. They stayed that way for a few minutes before Ginny murmured. "Mike."

"Yeah?"

"Song's over."

He knew, he just didn't want to let go just yet. "Is it?"

She chuckled. "I guess not."

 

 

 

 

They were avoiding the expiration date on this...whatever it was. Ginny didn't know how to describe it but somehow she couldn't imagine what her life had been before this. The fact that she'd have to return home in 4 days to deal with Trevor was...she woke up almost every night in cold sweat, unable to breathe because of it. Mike seemed to notice tat something was up, but he was sullen too; his own demons weighing on him.

"You call that a pitch?" He snapped as one of her throws went to the left. She glared at him.

"Oh I'm sorry. Was it hard on your knees?"

"Maybe." He said. "If I'm going to be risking my health, you might try to put in some effort, Ginny."

She through the glove onto the ground. "What the hell is up with you?" She asked.

"Me, you're the one who's been acting like a spoiled brat." He said. "Or do you think I forgot about yesterday when you splashed my food?"

"That was an accident and who eats next to the pool?" Ginny asked.

"I do."

"Oh, right. You do that at home, sorry. I forgot that a commoner like me doesn't understand the intricacies of pool etiquette like you, your beardness." She pretended to curtsy. There was a flicker of amusement in Mike's eyes.

"Beardness?" He asked his eyes crinkling in amusement.

She snorted, covering her mouth. "I don't know, it just came out." She muttered. Mike burst out laughing. She tried not to join him, but it was ridiculous. "I think it's sapping bloodflow to your brain, old man." She said, gasping. "We're supposed to be fighting."

"Why?" Mike asked.

"I don't know, you started it." Ginny couldn't help the petulant response but Mike accepts the criticism with a pained nod.

"I...I don't want..." He hesitated. "I go back in 4 days and...I-"

"Ginny."

The voice came from the other side of the court and Ginny froze, not wanting to turn. If she turned it made him real. If she kept looking at Mike, maybe she could convince herself that it had been a figment of her anxious imagination. But one look at Mike's face confirmed her worst fears; he was there.

"Who's that?" He asked. Ginny turned slowly.

"Trevor." She said. She could feel Mike get closer to her, not so he was touching her, but close enough that she would know he'd spring into action if need be. Trevor noticed this and his eyes narrowed at Mike before he turned his attention to Ginny.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" He asked.

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Trevor said. "You embarrassed me in front of everyone. How could you do that?"

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "So you're more upset about the embarrassment than the fact that I was more comfortable running away from you than being married to you?"

Trevor's eyes flickered to Mike before coming back to Ginny. "I think we need to talk about how we're going to fix this." He said. He gave Mike another pointed look before adding, "alone."

Ginny looked back at Mike and gave him a small grimace, handing him back the glove and baseball. "Hold on to these for me." She mumbled, turning to glare at Trevor before walking off the court. The nervousness she'd been fighting for the last three nights came back full force, drying her throat and making her mouth feel as though she'd swallowed acid. She wanted to wait until they'd put enough distance between them and Mike but the second they were barely out of earshot, Trevor began speaking.

"Who was that guy, Ginny?"

"He's..." She struggled to find the right word for him. "I met him here, he's in the bungalow next to mine." She didn't miss the slight flare in Trevor's nostrils as she said "mine" instead of "ours" or "yours". She felt sick. How could she have ever believed she was in love with him? She didn't want to discuss Mike.

"Did you sleep with him?"

"No." She was taken aback by the ferocity of her response. Trevor seemed to search her eyes to see whether or not she was lying. Whatever he saw seemed to satisfy him.

"Good." He said, nodding, looking away from her. "We can still fix this. You're coming back with me. You can tell everyone you were..." He motioned towards her head. She took a step back.

"Were what?" She asked.

"Come on, Gin." He said. "It's not like it was a secret that you were in therapy freshman year."

Not a secret? How many people had he told? Had he gone home and told his family about his poor damaged girlfriend with the dead father. "Because my dad had just died." Ginny said, her disgust growing. "This isn't my fault."

"You ran out on our wedding." Trevor growled. "How isn't this your fault?"

"Because you forced me into that position." She said. "You used me to be your perfect trophy wife and never bother to care, really care about the real me. So you do not get to use my vulnerabilities to explain away something you screwed up."

"Ginny." He said, using that tone that said if she was only sensible, she'd see things his way.

"We're done, Trevor." She said. "I don't want to fix this. You can't fix something that was never whole to begin with." She turned and walked away leaving him behind.

 

 

 

 

Mike had his feet in the water, sitting on the dock next to this bungalow. There was the sound of approaching steps, then Ginny plopped next to him.

"So...that's Trevor." he said.

"He's gone." She said, putting her feet in the water, splashing his shorts. He waited, letting her decide what to tell him. "I was in therapy." She mumbled. "After my dad died. It was a dark time, I...I threw myself so deeply into school to get away from the..." She swallowed. "I was in the car when it happened and sometimes I would get flashbacks. One day...my roommate, Cara. She found me in shower, the water on, crying with all my clothes on. The water flooding the bath tub." She laughed humorlessly. "I thought by...forcing the pain down, it would go away, but it didn't." She had tears in her eyes. "It made it worse."

"I'm sorry." Mike murmured, unsure what to say. She looked at him.

"I met Trevor...after I started therapy. It was...he was nice and sweet. Funny. We went golfing." She played with the hem of her dress. "He made me smile. So I...I ignored the small warning signs because I wanted to be normal and happy again." She paused again. Mike was taken aback by how weary she looked, despite her youth. "But it's over now." She looked back at him and he could see her armor coming back, protecting herself from the judgement she expected from him.

"Ginny." He said. "I know...I've only known you a short amount of time, but..." He wasn't sure where he was going with this particular line of thought, but he decided to ride it out, taking her hand. "You're an amazing person and hearing about the things you've gone through only cements that for me." He gave her a small smile. "You blow me away, Ginny Baker." She squeezed his hand, a slight tremor running through her. "And just by being fake married to you, I can tell that any guy that doesn't realize how amazing you are is insane."

She seemed slightly taken aback, her eyes wide. "You are a rare person, Mike Lawson." She breathed and somehow it was exactly what he'd needed to hear, but she wasn't done. "And for the record. Being fake married to you made me realize that..." She moved closer. He pressed his forehead against hers.

"That?" He whispered.

"That you have so much to give to the person you love and that anyone who doesn't see the value of that is crazy." She said.

"Even if I scare dolphins?" He asked, eliciting one of her full laughs. Her breath tickled his face and he waited. He didn't know if he could close the distance. He still wasn't sure if she wanted to.

 

 

 

 

Ginny brought her her hand up and cupped Mike's jaw, pulling him closer. "Especially when you scare dolphins." She murmured, pressing her lips to his.

"Ginny." He groaned as she pulled away from him. Getting up, she pulled him to his feet. He seemed dazed, but snapped back into focus as she pulled him into another kiss, pressing herself against him.

"Come to bed with me." She said.

He nodded, following her lead as she pulled him into her room.

 

 

 

 

When Mike got to his empty house in San Diego, he wasn't sure the entire trip hadn't been some bizarre dream. He shut his eyes, remembering Ginny's arms and the brush of her tongue against his as they said goodbye at the airport in Tahiti. She'd left first, her flight taking her to New York, where she'd transfer to go to North Carolina. He wondered what time it was in North Carolina and if it was too soon to call her. He fussed, pacing back and forth, picking up his phone, then putting it down again. He'd been back a solid 8 hours, agonizing about what to do when his phone lit up with a text.

"In front of some place called Boardner's. Apparently the locals like it? Know any good hotels?"

He had to read it twice before tapping out a shaky reply. "You're in San Diego?"

"I'm taking the internship." She replied.

Mike grinned. "Wait there." He replied. "There's no way you're staying at a hotel."


	2. Chapter 2

Ginny was practically trembling with anticipation. Another glance down the street and no one was there. She glanced down at her phone, rereading Mike's text. The minutes ticked by and doubt began to creep up her spine. What was she doing? Was she seriously going to live with a man she'd only known for 18 days? Her chest tightened. This was crazy, she needed to think, to reconsider. She reached for the handle of her suitcase, ready to run when her eyes landed on the tag. It said Mrs. Trevor Davis. Ginny's mouth went dry. Trevor had labeled the bags without asking her. Sure making rash decisions could lead to mistakes, but at least they'd be hers. And rash decisions had saved her from a stifling marriage. She let go of the handle, yanking the tag off the bag and flinging it into the street.

Just then a large black SUV pulled up to the curb next to her. The driver side door opened and Mike stepped out. He froze, half out of the car, one foot on the ground, looking at her as if he wasn't sure she was there. As if he was afraid she'd disappear. Slowly, he closed the door, moving towards her slowly. She mirrored his motions. They stopped, a breath away from each other.

"Well look what we have here." He murmured. "Ginny Baker in the flesh."

She couldn't help the grin that broke over her face. "You saw me not even 24 hours ago old man." She wasn't sure who breached the divide first but suddenly she was crushed against him, her lips fused against his as she wound her arms over his shoulders. Her head swam. She felt weightless, free, uninhibited. Mike let out a small groan pulling her up. Dimly she felt something cool bump against her back. She was up, floating, drunk on being with Mike. He pulled away, looking at her, his eyes wide and dark.

"It feels like 24 years." He breathed. From anyone else that line would have been insincere, but from him it made her blood sing through her.

There was a honking noise. Ginny looked over in surprise; she'd completely forgotten that they were out in the open.

"Get it!" Some random drunk hanging out of a car shouted, whistling. Mike flushed, pulling back. Ginny slid down, straightening her sweater. She'd been pressed against the side of the passenger door of Mike's car.

"I'll get your bag." Mike said, opening the door for her. She gave him another burning kiss, thrilling in the way he leaned forward as she pulled away, chasing her lips. Letting out a shuddering breath, he pulled back. "Fuck, what are you doing to me?" He murmured, shutting the door. Ginny watched as he grabbed her travel bags, loading them into the back of the car. The drive to his house was silent. They two of them stealing burning glances.

His house was...Ginny cracked up when she saw it.

"What?" He asked, getting out of the car.

"Nothing." She said, walking through the modern kitchen.

"Expecting a cave?"

"With that beard?" Ginny smirked over at him. "Definitely." He was leaning against the wall, watching her every movement. She leaned against the kitchen island, looking around at the gleaming glass and the reflection of the water through the entire downstairs. She looked back at Mike.

"So." He said. "You're here in San Diego."

"I'm here in San Diego." She echoed, trying to resist the urge to jump on him. He moved closer. Ginny's entire body thrummed in response, wanting so desperately for him to touch her, hold her, relieve the burning, itching under her skin.

"Well." He said. "It seems like I need to make sure you feel welcome."

She pulled him into her arms, happy to let him lead her to his room.

 

 

 

She woke tangled in a bunch of sheets, something soft and warm trailing down her back. She moved against it, feeling her eyelids flutter as a warm contented sensation went through her limbs. "Mmmm."

"Your stomach's been making noises."

Mike. Her eyes opened. So it hadn't been a dream. She rolled over.

"I haven't had anything since the air plane." She mumbled, content to press herself against his chest. He smelled of sweat and sex. She smiled lazily up at him. Still not completely awake. "Feed me?"

He chuckled. "Not sure there's enough food left in my fridge." He paused. "Haven't really had the chance to go shopping yet." He brushed her nose with his. "Mornin."

"Morning." She agreed, grinning as he moved his weight over her, sinking into the mattress as he skimmed his fingers over her hips. The night before had been passionate, burning, and hurried. They'd needed to reassure themselves that they were together again, anchoring themselves in each other. This...this was Mike exploring her, gently waking her as he learned what she liked, what made her cry out, what made her shake and grip his hair. She surprised him by rolling him on his back, seating herself on his lap. He exhaled, looking up at her in awe. She winked as she pushed away his hands. "You got to play." She skimmed her fingers over his rib cage, watching in delight as his skin flushed and he arched against her. He was covered in freckles and she made it her mission to kiss every one.

He was panting beneath her. "God, Gin." he ground out, pumping his hips, a pleading look in his eyes.

She shifted, looking around. The condom box from the night before had been knocked off the night stand at some point the night before. Mike whined as she moved off him. "Eager." She said.

"Tease." He shot back, smacking her ass. She hissed, grabbing the box and pulling out a packet. Opening it, she was about to wrap her hand around Mike's cock when he grabbed her wrist. "I'm not going to last if you do that."

Her body buzzed with his admission, reveling in his ragged breaths and desperate eyes. "You do that." She said, unsure where she got the courage. "And I'll have to sit on your face to get off, old man."

For a second she thought she'd said too much, but then he shut his eyes, his mouth open as he groaned. She shivered, rolling the condom on him before positioning herself, she sank down, feeling the stretch and burn of him as he entered her. She couldn't breathe, her entire being contracting as she rolled her hips, feeling the pull and drag of him moving beneath her, with her, inside her. "Mike." Her voice was high, garbled. She felt as though she was falling, out of control.

"Yes." He hissed. "That's it, baby." His hands went to her hips, steadying her as if he sensed she needed him to hold her in place. "Oh, so beautiful."

"More." She wasn't sure what she meant by it, but suddenly his knees came up and he leveraged himself to lift into her, meeting her movements with a thrust and grind, Her vision spotted, her breath became strangled, she heard a cry that the burn in her throat told her was hers as she flew over the edge. He pressed her against him, caressing her back, his hips pumping slowly into her as she came down.

"Shh." he said, his voice soothing and comforting even as he moved deeper in her wringing small whimpers from her as she rode out her orgasm. She locked her legs around his waist, pulling him on top as she rolled on to her back. His thrusts didn't speed but, but they increased in strength, each, pressing her into the mattress. She put her hands on the sides of his face, making him look at her. She put her forehead against his.

"Let go." She whispered against his lips.

"Ginny." He sounded wrecked as he shivered and pumped into her one last time, his body shaking as he collapsed on top of her. She held him, running her fingers over the soft skin of his back. They stayed together, not moving until Ginny's stomach let out a loud rumble. Mike burst out laughing.

"Shut up." She grumbled. Mike rolled off her, grinning.

"Guess I made you work up quite an appetite." He smirked as she playfully smacked his arm, her face burning as she looked away from him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her hip. "Hey." he said, pressing obnoxiously loud and increasingly wet open mouthed kisses against her skin until she looked at him. "Shower and then brunch?"

She nodded.

 

 

 

Mike watched, amused as Ginny rushed around the bedroom. She'd been at his house for a week, despite assurances that she'd get her own place once her internship started paying. He didn't mind the idea of her staying, hell, he wasn't sure if he ever really wanted her to leave.

"Looking for some thing?" He asked, putting his hands behind his head as he leaned back against the pillows. Ginny shot him a glare.

"Being late on the first day is a terrible look." She said, going through her suitcase. She hadn't completely unpacked it. There was a business casual button down and a skirt. She glanced in the mirror and let out a cry of frustration at the sight of her hair. Mike couldn't help the laugh. She'd washed it the night before and the combination of not drying it immediately and Mike's appreciation of the sight of her in a towel had made the curls stand up almost vertically in places. "This is your fault." she hissed.

"I didn't hear you complaining." He said.

"I'm going to be late." She mumbled, her fingers flying to button her shirt. "I'm going to be late and they'll fire me and-"

"Hey." He said, getting up, putting his hands on her shoulders and making her stand still. She was constantly in motion, a hurricane of bronze curls, sarcastic wit, and dimples that he could not get enough of. He was caught in the storm and all too happy to be blown away by her. "Breathe."

She inhaled, letting out her breath slowly. The fact that she trusted him enough to allow him to calm her thrilled him.

"You're not going to be late. You purposely set the alarm 2 hours early and we haven't even gotten through one of them yet." He thumbed circles over her shoulders. "The paper is offering you a paid internship, which basically never happens. They want you, Genevieve Baker. They want you because you're brilliant. So you're going to breathe and get ready. I'll have breakfast waiting for you downstairs, okay? Planetary, right?"

She frowned, her brow furrowing. "Planetary."

"Continental doesn't seem to cover the scope of how much you-" He dodged as she shoved at his chest, laughing. "Get dressed."

 

 

 

Ginny walked through the doors at the San Diego tribune, trying to contain her nervousness. Putting on her best smile, she walked up to the front desk. "Hi, I'm Ginny Baker, I'm looking for Oscar Arguella's office?"

"Third floor." The receptionist smiled. "Hi, I'm Eliot." He held out his hand.

"Ginny." She said, shaking his hand. "And I already said that."

"It's cool." Eliot grinned. "If you need anything I'm always here."

"Thanks." She left, going to the elevator. Her phone buzzed. A good luck text from Mike. She grinned. The phone buzzed again. It was her mother, asking her to call. She sighed. She'd been dodging her mother's calls ever since she'd called her from JFK airport to tell her she wasn't going to North Carolina and had instead bought a ticket to San Diego. She shook her head, walking to the elevator.

Oscar was waiting for her by the elevator. "Hi, I'm Ginny-"

"Baker, good." He said, getting onto the elevator. "Hold on to that enthusiasm we're going to Petco."

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You're getting your first scoop, Rookie." Oscar said. "The Padres catcher just injured himself. They're calling up Livan Duarte." He grinned. "And you're going to help us get an exclusive with him."

 

 

 

 

 

It was Mike's first day back at the clinic as well. He walked in, noting that everyone seemed to avoid his gaze. He winced. They'd all been at the wedding and had seen the dumpster fire that had transpired. He sighed, going over to the coffee machine in his office, wincing at the stack of cards on his desk. Did they make cards for 'your fiance cheated on you and dumped you for the other guy at the altar'? If so, hallmark had outdone themselves. For the first time since he'd seen Ginny waiting for him outside out Boardner's he felt a stab of pain at the thought of Rachel.

He sighed, turning away from the cards, just in time to see one of the nurse staff duck her head and rush into one of the exam rooms. They'd probably decided to avoid him; the Lawson grumpiness was legendary. He shook his head.

"This should be fun." He mumbled.

 

 

 

 

"How exactly do you think I'm going to help you get an in with Livan Duarte?" Ginny asked as she followed Oscar into Petco. She took a second to gather herself and appreciate that she was actually in Petco. Oscar looked her over.

"He's been giving seasoned reporters the run around ever since the Padres signed him and he began playing in the minors." Oscar explained. "All the usual techniques don't work with him." He shrugged. "Maybe you can add something new." He smirked. "it doesn't hurt that you're a pretty girl and he's far away from home."

Ginny looked at him in disgust. "Excuse me?" She said, stopping in the center of the hall. "Are you saying you only brought me to this assignment because of my boobs." She hissed.

He sighed. "I'm frankly out of options. The newspaper industry is dying." He shook his head. "And its not your boobs. It's the fact that you're new and can sneak into parts of the club house that I can't. They'll actually believe you when you say "oh, I had no idea I couldn't come here." That excuse doesn't work for me anymore." He opened the door to the clubhouse. There was no game, but the players had practice. The calling up of Livan Duarte had caused buzz and there were other reporters.

"Oscar, you're wasting your time." An old man in a Padres uniform said. Ginny recognized him as Manager Al Luongo. Oscar struck up a conversation, motioning behind his back for Ginny to keep going. "He doesn't speak English."

"Oh right, because Spanish is so difficult for me." Oscar grinned. He and Al seemed close. Ginny swallowed, moving through the clubhouse. Some of the players shot her curious looks, but one glance at her press badge and they snorted.

"Let me guess." Tommy Miller came to stand in front of her. "You want to see Livan Duarte."

"I..." She glanced over her shoulder. He shook his head.

"Cut the act sis, you know exactly what you're doing." He leaned against the wall. "Do me a favor. If I tell you where he is, promise me you'll tell the entire world what an asshole he is?" He touched her cheek. Ginny jerked her face out of his reach.

"If that's the case, then the two of you should get along great." She paused. "Unless you don't like the challenge to your title of Asshole in Chief."

Tommy's face turned red. He was about to say something when a voice from behind her whispered.

"He bothering you, mami?" She turned. A tall man, wearing a backwards hat with brown hair was glaring at Tommy. He jutted out his chin, challenging the pitcher. The other Padre rolled his eyes and moved away, muttering 'whatever'.

"Thanks." She said. "Though I could have handled that myself." She turned to her rescuer.

"Eh." He rolled his shoulders giving her a smirk. "I've been lookin' for a reason to deck that asshole since I got here 2 hours ago." He had a thick Spanish accent.

Ginny's eyes widened. Two hours ago? "Are you Livan Duarte?"

He tilted his head. "That depends, are you a reporter?"

She nodded. He muttered a muffled curse in Spanish. "Yeah, can't really forget that you speak English, sorry."

He leaned against the wall, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Well, at least I lost to a beautiful opponent." He sighed. "Do your worst, mami."

Ginny laughed. "Honestly, I didn't really think past how I'd find you." She glanced at the ground. "It's actually my first day."

He studied her. "Mine too." He said. "We've got something in common then." He said.

"Would it be possible to get an interview with you?" She asked. "Once I've figured out my angle?"

Livan bit his lip. "Tell you what. How about...I give you an interview on one condition."

She nodded.

"Don't do any research on me." He said.

"What?" Ginny frowned.

"People read my story, they think they know me." He pushed off the wall, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "So, if you promise, you'll get an exclusive."

Ginny nodded. "Promise."

"Good." Livan handed her his phone for her to put in her number. "I'll call you." He smirked as her fingers fumbled. "See you soon, mami."

"Will do..." She hesitated before adding "papi."

He chuckled, walking away from her. She exhaled, going back into the main area, she almost collided with someone.

"Sorry, I..." She gulped as she recognized the beard. "Mike?"


	3. Chapter 3

Mike blinked down at Ginny in surprise. "What are you doing here?" Ginny held up a press pass. Her shock subsided and she grinned up at him. He bit his lip, forcing himself to ignore what that smile could get him to do.

"I'm getting an exclusive with Livan Duarte." She wrinkled her nose. "Apparently my new boss thinks I'm only good to charm players into giving interviews..." Her frowned deepened. "And I hate to admit it, but it kinda worked..."

Mike frowned, dread seizing his gut. "What's that supposed to mean?" He growled. Ginny's eyes widened.

"No." She stepped closer. "It wasn't like that. Tommy Miller was giving me a hard time and even though I was handling it, Duarte went all Alpha male." She rolled her eyes. "I didn't even have to talk to him all that much." She put her hand on his arm. "You have..." She trailed off, stopping short of assuring him he had nothing to worry about. She probably realized the implications of those words. They hadn't given a name to what it was they were. A fling turned personal? A rebound taken too far? He was overthinking it and if he didn't say something quick things could get uncomfortable between them and that was the last thing he wanted. 

"I have it on good authority that you're quite into the whole alpha male routine." He stroked his beard for emphasis. 

"Oh?" Ginny tilted her head, relaxing slightly. Mike pressed on. 

"Does he even have a beard?" 

She rolled her eyes, but wet her lips slightly as she shook her head. Mike's eyes watched the movement, aching to kiss her. 

"Oh, so he's not your type." His voice dropped lower. "Because we both know how you feel about beards." 

"That they're only acceptable on aging rockers and pirates?" Ginny suggested, slightly breathless. She had to feel the same pull he felt whenever she was around. It was making him light headed. He opened his mouth to retort when- 

"Dr. Lawson." 

Mike groaned and glared around Ginny at the person who'd spoken. Tommy Miller was sticking his head out of one of the physical therapy rooms. Right, work. The reason he'd come there in the first place. 

"Tell Nunez I'll be there in sec." He said, looking back at Ginny. She looked amused, her eyes sparkling as she parted her lips slightly. She was so-

"He wants to be behind homeplate ASAP." Miller said, interrupting Mike's train of thought again. Ginny stifled a giggle at his frustrated sigh. "And I want to get off the DL too." Miller whined petulantly, either clueless to the fact that he was ruining Mike's day or purposely making it hell. Mike shut his eyes, taking a step back from Ginny. 

"Maybe you shouldn't have flipped off an opposing pitcher with a reputation for beaning hitters." He muttered, eliciting a laugh from Ginny. Miller's eyes narrowed. Mike gave his best affable smile, hoping it didn't look as forced as it felt. "I'm not a wizard Tommy. Those bones will heal when they heal." 

Ginny pressed her hand to his arm. "I should go." She passed. "By the way." She called over her shoulder. "Wizard, also an acceptable excuse for the beard." 

Mike shook his head, grinning as she walked away. "See you at home."

She faltered slightly, looking back at him wide eyed. Shit, what had he done? They stared at each other neither sure what to say before someone, Mike guessed it was her boss because of his press pass, came up to her and started asking a ton of questions, drawing her attention away. Mike turned his attention back to Miller who was watching Ginny's retreat. "Aren't you married?" He growled, going into the room. Nunez was laid out on a table, his leg in a brace. Miller plopped down in a seat near the door. 

"I was going sorry about what happened at your wedding." He commented, glancing out the open door. Even though Mike knew he couldn't actually see Ginny, it still made his blood boil. "But I'd say you're coping pretty well, old man." 

Mike turned his back on him and looked at Nunez. "Let's have a look at those knees." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oscar had been over the moon when she told him about her exchange with Duarte. To celebrate her first successful day on the job, Eliot and Cara, the assistant to the director of the Arts and Style section, took her out for drinks. She texted Mike to tell him she'd be late, secretly grateful for the break. Things had gotten pretty intense that morning. He'd been hurt when he'd thought she'd flirted with Duarte and...she wasn't sure why she'd felt the need to assure him of the opposite. Or why the idea of flirting with Duarte had felt so wrong. Sure Mike was...kind and amazing and they were having pretty spectacular sex regularly, but...they'd never really said what it meant. Both of them had just gotten out of serious relationships. Were they moving too fast. Were they even moving? 

And then of course were those four words. "See you at home." He'd been so sincere. It had seemed the most natural thing in the world for him to say that for a split second she hadn't even questioned it. 

"Who's Mike?" Cara looked over her shoulder. She'd pulled out her phone for the 11th time, checking for texts, her finger over the call button but never actually doing it. 

"He's..." She stashed her phone in her pocket. "It's complicated." 

"Boyfriend or fuckbuddy?" Cara leaned her head on Ginny's shoulder. She was fun, vivacious and, after the two rounds of shots she'd insisted they do, much more open about her personal life then Ginny had ever been to anyone. 

"Are those the only options?" She wasn't sure how to define Mike. Boyfriend was...she wasn't ready for that, she knew, but fuckbuddy felt too cheap. Too sleazy to define them. She was hazy, the tequila beginning to do its work. 

"Yup." Cara grinned. "You're not in Kansas anymore." 

"Especially since I'm from North Carolina." She leaned her head on her hand, steadying herself against the bar. 

Cara grimaced. "That's worse." 

"How?" Ginny laughed. 

"Dunno, it just is." Cara declared. 

Her phone rang. Ginny didn't look before answering. "You miss me, old man? I'll be there soon. Then we can-" 

"Genevieve Marie Baker, where are you?" 

Ginny nearly fell off her stool. "Mom?" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ginny's uber pulled up at 1:37 am and Mike was ashamed to say he'd waited up. He just had to know that he hadn't fucked things up between them when he'd put his foot in his mouth earlier that day. Bracing himself for what he was sure was going to be a parade of age jokes of epic proportions, he opened the door. Whatever smart quip he'd prepared died in his throat as he took in the sight of Ginny walking up to the door. She was swaying slightly, her eyes unfocused...and they were red rimmed; she'd been crying. 

He stepped aside, letting her in. "What happened?" He asked, closing the door. He let out a huff of air as Ginny pushed him against the door. For someone so drunk, she was deceptively strong. She pressed her lips to his, kissing him hungrily and sloppily, gripping her hands in his shirt and grinding her hips against his. He pulled back. "Ginny, wait." He put his hands on hers, trying to remove himself from her grasp. Blessedly, the part of his brain that was worried about Ginny was drowning out the part that was helpless to her touch. "Ginny, wait." He moved away from the door, not wanting her to trap him again.

"Come on, Mike." She said, stepping back, pulling his hands to her chest as she fumbled with the buttons of her blouse. Mike pulled away.

"Did someone hurt you?" He asked. 

"All my life." Ginny replied, leaning forward to kiss him again. "Wanna fix me, doctor?" He gulped as she practically purred the last word. 

"Ginny." He said slowly. "What...happened." 

She stopped, her eyes going from hungry to pained in seconds. She ducked her gaze, moving away from him. Kicking off her shoes, she sighed heavily. "Apparently." She began. "I'm an ungrateful idiot who ruins everything she touches." Her voice was hushed. 

"Who told you that?" Mike growled. 

"My mom." She said. "And Mrs. Davis." She flopped down on the couch. "They were apparently having tea or something."She waved a hand dismissively. "And it dragged on into a late dinner and after the second glass of wine they..." She hiccuped  "They decided to call the woman who'd ruined their perfectly planned wedding." She pulled her knees to her chest. "And so, for after dinner entertainment, they called me to berate me about my life choices." Mike moved towards her, sitting next to her. She stared off in front of her, not acknowledging him, seemingly lost in the memory of the conversation. "They asked me about a million questions, not even letting me answer one before..." She shook her head. "And apparently Trevor is just devastated." She bit her lip. "Which is why he moved straight to Arizona and is just...throwing himself into being a major league player and then..." She took a deep breath. "Mrs. Davis oh so casually mentioned that Miranda was helping him through it." She leaned back, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. "Goddamn Miranda Crenshaw with her prep school manners and her trust fund and her Jack and Jill perfection is moving out to Arizona. I think my mom wanted me to hear it because she wanted to...I don't know, motivate me to see the mistake I'd made, but...Mrs. Davis. She always hated me and she wanted Trevor to marry Miranda but..."

Ginny's face twisted in pain. 

"She basically told me he'd been cheating on me with her this whole time." She buried her face in her hands. "I don't even know why I'm so angry or hurt. I left him. I ran away from him. I decided to end things. It's just..." She shook. "I thought...that at least he loved me." She looked up. "Am I really so unlovable?" She whispered. Mike's heart wrenched. He stood, pulling her with him. She was unsteady, sobs wracking her body as Mike pulled her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him as though he was her lifeline. He picked her up, carrying her to his room. She closed her eyes as he lowered her onto the bed. Lying down next to her, he watched as she fell asleep. 

"You're not unlovable." He whispered. 


	4. Chapter 4

Ginny woke the next day, her head pounding. She winced, curling into a ball.

"Why the hell is there so much light in here?' She rasped, her throat dry.

"I'd answer that." A deep voice rumbled next to her. "But you'd probably make a crack about my fish bowl again."

She cracked open one eye. Mike was lying next to her, his hair sticking out at odd angles. They'd fallen asleep facing each other. She swallowed, glancing down. She was wearing the same clothes from the night before. He ran a cool hand over her face, helping the burn of her skin.

"Hey." He whispered.

She felt raw, open, exposed as flashes of stumbling inside the night before and talking to Mike came to the surface. She shut her eyes, not wanting to look at him. She'd inadvertently showed more of herself than she'd ever intended to. More than she'd shown another person since Trevor. It was ridiculous for her to be so shy around him, but somehow the sex they'd had somehow seemed more impersonal than the meltdown she'd had the night before. She'd shown him more of the darkness that broiled beneath the surface. Sure he'd seen hints of it in Tahiti, but this...this was different. This was intimate in a way she didn't know if she'd ever been with any man before. Even...Trevor.

She shuddered, aware of the fact that the last man she'd opened up to had fed the demons inside her, harnessing their strength for his own purposes. He'd hurt her and made her blame herself for it. What if Mike-

There was the press of something soft and warm against her temple. She almost cried, opening her eyes and looking at Mike as he pulled away. Her heart hammered in her chest and her breath came in quick gasps. It was such an innocent kiss and yet it burned in a way that outstripped everything they'd ever done.

"You're not unlovable." He whispered. "And for making you feel that way, Trevor never deserved you."

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Mike smiled, reaching behind him and grabbing a water bottle from the bedside table.

"Drink water and relax. I'll get you some aspirin and then make you breakfast. Something greasy and covered in hot sauce."

She took the bottle, watching him as he left the room. This thing between them. It had changed. It had become so much more...and she was terrified.

 

 

 

Something was different. Mike knew what they had was fragile, new, and tenuous, but that didn't mean he was ready to let it go. The connection ran deeper than either them knew what to do with. Ginny was skittish and he couldn't blame her. Almost a month ago he'd been ready to live the rest of his life with Rachel only to have his whole world torn from him. Ginny. Ginny had been set to lock herself into a marriage with a man who controlled her and snuffed out her brilliance. It  wouldn't be weird for her to be cautious...though nothing about their relationship was cautious. They thrown themselves at the first love-starved person they'd found and now... Now only time would tell where things went from here. She got up, showered and went straight to work throwing a curt "later" over her shoulder before he could even show her the beginning of the breakfast he'd made her. He stood, staring at the door, mouth agape. Staring at the pan, he put it on the stove, turning off the flame. Ginny probably needed some space to figure herself out and he needed it too. His phone buzzed; an alarm telling him he'd be late for work if he didn't get his ass in gear. Work, then figure out his personal life. That sounded like a plan.

 

 

 

 

Ginny had just sat down at her desk when her stomach caught up to her nerves. Letting out a loud growl it cramp, telling her it would no longer allow her to ignore it. She winced, looking around; Oscar hadn't seen her yet. There was still time to rush down to the cafeteria and-

Her desk phone rang.

She blinked. She hadn't realized she had one, let alone that anyone had the number.

"Hello?" She said, pressing the cool plastic to her cheek.

"Is this Ginny Baker?" The voice sounded cool, confident. She nodded, then grimaced as she realized they couldn't see her.

"Yes."

"This is Livan. I am taking you out to lunch today."

She coughed. "Um...you are?"

"Yes." He sounded like he was indulging a petulant child. "You never called me for our interview so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I called the paper and they redirected me to you."

 Ginny was about to tell him off and attempt to regain control of the situation by explaining that she should set the interview parameters when her stomach let out another growl that had her fingers clenching. "How about brunch?" She suggested. After agreeing to meet Livan at a relatively out of the way cafe Mike had talked about going with her about a week ago, she hung up, buzzing with excitement. She couldn't wait to tell Mike she'd have her first big interview in....she froze, her fingers itching to call him. But she'd run out on him that morning. She owed him an explanation or at the very least an apology. She put her phone on the desk, weighing her options. On the one hand, telling him about work could normalize their relationship. She could use it as a means to pretend that the last 17 hours hadn't happened. That she hadn't sobbed herself to sleep in his arms...that he hadn't held her without complaint or reproach. 

"Not everyone wants to hurt you." Her therapist's words echoed in her head. She'd tried to convince herself of that fact, but how could she allow Mike close? How could she trust that he wouldn't continue what Trevor had done? She looked at her phone. She wanted her and Mike to be okay, she realized. That need was stronger than her fear. She texted him. 

Just scheduled my first big interview. Dinner's on me.

She sent it, staring at the screen. Was she seriously going to stare at the screen, waiting for him to respond? Nope. She put her phone on her desk just as it buzzed. She snatched it up. 

Baker get your ass in my office 

Oscar. She looked over the side of her cubicle towards his office. He was frowning at her. She forced a smile and got up. Time to start the day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She was hesitant when she came into the house. Mike had come home about 10 minutes earlier and was just loosening his tie. She let the door close behind her, frozen in the doorway. Her eyes were wide and she darted her eyes around the room. "So." She said. "I'm sorry about...this morning and last night." She winced. "I feel like things got a little too real and..." 

She was building up to something. Mike dropped his hands to the kitchen island in front of him. "It's okay. I think..." He'd been practicing this speech all day. "The two of us walked into this thing without really thinking. I'm not sure what we expected out of it but I know that if last night proved anything it's that -" 

"I got an apartment." Ginny cut him off. Mike blinked. 

"You..." He hadn't realized she'd still been looking. "Oh." He forced a smile on his face, unable to meet her gaze. "That's um..." He cleared his throat. "Great..um..." He turned, rubbing the back of his head. He needed to keep it together. "Where?" 

"It's nowhere fancy." Ginny said. "But one of my co-workers, Cara. Her roommate moved out. So..." She trailed off. 

Mike nodded. "Okay." 

"Okay." Ginny repeated. "That's it?" 

"What do you want me to say, Ginny?" He turned and glared at her. "You want me to jump up and do a dance? Am I supposed to celebrate the fact that you're leaving?" 

Ginny took a step back. "I just...I expected something more than 'okay'."

Mike shook his head. "Well, sorry to disappoint, but I'm not sure what the protocol is here." He motioned to her. "Though you seem to have it all figured out. Things got heavy last night. I get that, but that's no excuse to run."

"I'm not." She glared. "Running."

"Really." Mike snapped. "What do you call this, then."

"What's going on between us." Ginny said. "It's scary and complicated."

"It's really not." Mike was taken aback by the sincerity of his words. Apparently so was Ginny, if the way her eyes widened was any indication. "I care about you. I want this to work. If you feel the same, then we can figure it out from there."

Her eyes glistened and she dropped her gaze. "I..." Her voice faltered. "I want this to work too." She admitted. "But you can't just give me that type of ultimatum." She angrily wiped at her tears. "I need to put distance between us. I've defined myself by what others wanted from me my entire life. My dad, Trevor." She took a deep breath and a look of serenity came over her features. "I don't want you to be added to that list. So...I need time, to figure out me. I want to be able to decide that I want something because it's what I want. So if this happens, I want it to be because I say so." 

Mike knew she was right. Silence stretched between them. It echoed in the confines of the glass walls. She was waiting, he realized. Waiting for him to reply and his answer would make or break any potential future they had. 

"Okay." 


	5. Chapter 5

Get up. Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

Ginny's days had taken on a routine. One she stuck to to hold on to any semblance of sanity. It had been a week since she'd moved in with Cara. She hadn't talked to Mike since outside of a few meaningless texts. Her interview with Livan had been so well received that Oscar had all but confirmed that she'd be taken on full time. She knew she should be happy, but her first thought had been to call Mike. She couldn't bring herself to. So she concentrated on her work, dodged her mother's calls, and set up her apartment.

It didn't stop Mike from texting her. It was mostly innocuous things like pictures of PetCo Park or random dogs that he encountered. But every once in a while some of his insecurities would slip through and he'd text her something personal. 

Like today's text. It was simply: 'I miss you'. She wasn't going to admit that she'd spent most of the morning rereading the text. Or that she'd been on the verge of texting him back at least 5 times. 

"You're killin me, Baker." Cara rolled up in her desk chair, stopping next to her. Ginny arched an eyebrow. 

"Why?" She said, putting her phone down on her desk. 

"Oh, I don't know." Cara tapped her chin. "Maybe because I know for a fact that you're planning on moping around the apartment tonight." She gave the phone a pointed look. "Even though Booty Call's been texting you." 

Ginny arched an eyebrow. "Booty Call?" She repeated. Cara nodded. 

"Oh yeah." She grinned. "When you first came to work here you were living with a 'friend'." She made air quotes. "Then when you moved in with me, you started getting these texts from 'Mike' that make you happy, then sad and since I know that your ex's name was Trevor, Mike has to be something different. Yet you've never once gone to get some from him." She frowned. "Was it bad?" 

"No." Ginny said. "I mean..." She shook her head as Cara's eyes widened in delight. "I just...it's complicated." She sighed, turning to look back at her computer. 

Cara frowned. "Uh huh." She grabbed Ginny's phone, pushing back her chair; dancing out of her reach. "I think you need a push." She dialed Mike's number, shoving the phone at Ginny's face before she could say anything. Ginny glared at her and was about to yell at her...when someone picked up the phone. 

"Hello?" A woman answered. Ginny's eyes widened. 

"Um...Mike?" She said. 

"No, this is Rachel," The woman sounded smug. Ginny felt her throat tighten. "Can I take a message?" 

"Um...no." She shook her head. "I'll um..." She hung up, putting the phone down on desk. She stared at the wall of her cubicle, fighting the panic that was clawing its way up from her stomach. Rachel. Mike's ex. The one he'd been ready to marry. The one he was clearly in love with. The one he was now back with. 

"What is it?" Cara. She'd forgotten her friend was there. 

"His..." How was she even going to explain this. "It wasn't him." She shook her head, focusing on her computer. She needed to write, to focus on anything that wasn't Mike. Cara looked at her in concern, but didn't press. 

"I'm sorry." She whispered, putting her hand on Ginny's shoulder before rolling back to her desk. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike walked into his office and did a double take. His throat dried. Sure, he'd thought about what would happen when he saw Rachel again. Hell, he'd come up with about a thousand speeches on the plane ride to Tahiti, but actually seeing her...that was something else altogether. 

She gave him a grim smile, her eyes sweeping the length of his form. A glint of guilt entered her eyes. He was torn between feeling vindicated and annoyed that she thought he was a mess over her. Well, he probably was, but a larger portion of his current state of brooding was because Ginny hadn't called him. 

Ginny. His eyes darted to the phone he'd left on his desk, wondering if there was a text, a call, something from her. 

"Rachel." He said. 

"Mike." She said. "How are you?" 

He snorted, pulling off his lab coat, walking over to the coat rack to hang it up. "I'm swell, you?" He glanced at her finger. There was no ring. None from him...or the other guy. "How about Dave?" 

Rachel sighed. "David..." She shook her head. "I didn't come here to talk about him." 

Mike nodded, walking around his desk. He figured it would be good to put some distance between the two of them. She looked sad and even though she'd hurt him, he still cared about her. Cared enough to feel the need to comfort her. Fuck, why was this happening to him? "That seems about right." He muttered. "I mean, you never mentioned him when you were screwing him behind my back until the wedding day. Why start talking about him now?" 

"Mike." Rachel pleaded. "He and I...it's over." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I think we never really figured out how to be a couple." 

Mike nodded. "Kinda difficult when you're engaged to someone else." He mumbled. 

Rachel glared at him. "I wouldn't have cheated if you weren't so busy all the time." 

"Are you trying to make this my fault?" Mike cut her off. "Because-" 

"You never compromised." Rachel said. "You weren't there when I needed you and David was..." She took a deep breath. "I guess I needed some time apart to figure myself out." 

Mike shook his head. "I never compromised?" He sat heavily in his chair, looking across his desk. He didn't even recognize the woman he'd fallen in love with. Rachel was a complete stranger to him. A part of him wondered if she'd always been and he'd only deluded himself into thinking he knew her. "I made every sacrifice for you. I opened up a whole new clinic in LA and planned to run both out of there because YOU had to be in LA for your career. YOU were the one who decided when we would have kids because your career was taking off. YOU were the one who held off on getting married for years because it was better for you to appear single. And that was fine, because I loved you and love is about sacrifice." He shook his head. "But it's about sacrifice on both sides. I gave and I gave. You only took." He rubbed a hand over his eyes. "So yeah, I was busy, because moving the administration of a medical clinic and setting up contacts with a completely new sports' team is complicated work." He looked up at her. She was crying, but he forced himself not to back down. "Rach, if you had wanted space, I would have given it to you. But after everything, you decided you wanted him more than me." He held up his hands. "So go ahead. This is what you wanted." 

Rachel was flustered, her skin blotchy as she tried to gain some semblance of control. Nodding, she turned to the door. Pausing, she looked back at him. Opening her mouth, she was about to say something, but she shook her head. Halfway out the door, she stopped. "Some one named Ginny called." She looked him in the eyes and Mike flushed. Rachel had always been able to read him better than anyone. "She seemed...nice." She shut the door. Mike barely waited a second before pouncing on his phone and calling Ginny. She didn't answer. He hung up and called again. It went straight to voicemail. He cursed, throwing the phone down on his desk. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two days passed. Ginny became even more of a robot than before. Oscar knocked on the wall of the cubicle. "I hope you have a ballgown. The Padres are hosting a charity fundraising gala tonight. I need you to cover it." He walked away before she could reply, leaving Ginny gaping after him. She shook herself. A fancy party. That sounded like nothing short of a nightmare. She was great doing one on one interviews, but the asinine small talk that accompanied this type of event. She'd be lucky to get an original soundbite that wasn't the same canned response the Padres gave every reporter at the gala. 

Her phone rang. She contemplated ignoring it; Mike had tried to call at least 3 times. In the end, she looked at it. Livan Duarte. She picked up. 

"Hello?" She said. 

"You made me look good, Mami." Livan said. "I read the article." 

"I'm glad you like it." Ginny said. 

"So, there's this party tonight, and it's going to be a bunch of people I don't know." He paused. Ginny's hand clenched the phone. 

"Is this a date?" She asked. "Because I just got out of a very serious relationship and I don't date ballplayers." She fleetingly wondered if by serious relationship she meant Trevor or Mike. 

"It's not a date." Livan replied. "I have a girlfriend back in Cuba. I just..." He hesitated. "It's lonely here in San Diego. I guess I just need someone to talk to at the gala who doesn't want something from me." 

Ginny bit her lip. "Well, it just so happens that my boss is having me go for the paper." Livan laughed. "If you're okay with me somewhat working..." She let the question hang. 

"Sounds like a plan." Livan said. "I'll pick you up at 8:30." 

Ginny's brow furrowed in confusion. "Doesn't the gala start at 8?" Livan answered with a laugh. 

"If you're going with me, Mami, you're going to be fashionably late." 

Ginny shook her head, cracking her first smile in a while. "I'll text you the address," she hesitated, "Papi." 

Livan's smug laugh was still ringing in her ear as she hung up. She let out a breath, glancing over at Cara's cubicle. "Cara." The other journalist's head popped over the partition. 

"Yup?" 

Ginny tilted her head. "Do we still have those dresses that Givenchy sent over for the fashion week spread?" She watched as Cara's eyes widened. 

"Are we about to have a Devil Wears Prada moment?" She asked. Ginny glanced at her hands. 

"I've never actually seen that movie." 

Cara gasped. "Okay, we'll deal with that crime against culture, later. First." She walked over, grabbing Ginny's arm and dragging her towards the elevator. "We transform you from an above average caterpillar into the goddess butterfly that is just itching to come out." She punched the elevator call button, a glint that made Ginny uneasy entered her eyes. "And I know just the dress." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ginny was equally thanking and cursing Cara as she mingled with the San Diego upper crust. Thanking because, yes; she looked amazing. The red dress that her roommate had chosen stopped traffic...literally. A car full of frat boys had crashed into a tree when she'd come out of the apartment building to go into Livan's convertible. Cursing because it was almost impossible to have a serious conversation with any of the Padres when all they could do was zone in on her boobs. She'd gotten several unwanted phone numbers, even Miller, who'd been such a jerk the first time she'd met him, intimated that he and his wife might be looking for a threesome should she be interested. Livan was fun, managing to make her laugh and keeping most of his teammates under control, but he couldn't be everywhere. And he had a job to do at the gala that night as did she. 

She felt dirty, overheated...and then she saw him. Mike was at the bar, staring right at her. The room seemed to fade away as they locked eyes. She couldn't breathe. Mike mouthed her name and even though there was a whole room of people between the two of them, she could hear the rumble of his tone. "Mike." She whispered. 

"Mami, you okay?" She was jolted back to reality by Livan materializing at her elbow. 

"Yeah." She glanced back to where Mike was standing, but he was gone. Had she imagined him? "I just-" 

"It's good to see you, Ginny." Mike was standing in front of her. She held her head up. Livan arched an eyebrow at the two of them. 

"Doctor Lawson." He said. "Good to see you." 

"I already donated, Duarte, save your speech." Mike didn't even look at Livan, his eyes focused on Ginny. Livan glared. 

"I-" He stopped when Ginny looked over at him. Giving him a bracing smile, she murmured: 

"I got this." 

Livan moved over to the bar, his manner casual, but his attention clearly still on the two of them. 

"I've been trying to call." Mike said. 

"I've been ignoring them." Ginny said. He flinched at the harsh tone of her words. 

"I don't know what Rachel said to you." Mike said. "But it's over between us." He exhaled slowly. "I'd left my phone in my office and she answered it." He shook his head. "I...I know you said you need space, but I needed you to know that."  

Ginny nodded. She didn't know if she could trust Mike. She knew her gut was telling her he was telling the truth, but her anxiety told her not to let him back in so easily. He examined her expression before taking a step back. 

"I haven't been able to think of anything else but you since you walked out my door." Mike said. "So I don't care how long it takes. Hell, if you only want to be friends who get coffee once a month and catch up, I'll be happy, but..." He shut his eyes. "I was left alone with an empty house and I never really noticed how cold and impersonal it was before you came into my life." 

She swallowed thickly, glancing at her feet. "That's the problem with glass walls." She mumbled. Mike let out a small hiss of air. 

"See." He murmured. "We're one old man joke from things back to normal." 

"Normal?" Ginny looked up him. "Mike, we've barely known each other 2 months." 

"And you're already the most important person in my life." He said. "I know it doesn't make sense, but I know you trusted me enough to lean on me the night your mom called. That didn't come out of nowhere. I just...I want to be able to see where this goes...if you want to give us a try." 

Ginny's throat constricting. She smoothed the front of her dress. "I decide where this goes." She said. Mike nodded. "What if I run again?" 

"Well, it'll be difficult to chase you with my knee." Mike said. "But in those heals I figure, my odds are good." Ginny bit back a smile. 

"And if I want to put in the work?" She whispered. Mike's eyes widened, barely concealed hope shimmering beneath the surface. 

"Then we go from there." 

Ginny nodded. "So...coffee?" 

"Coffee." Mike breathed. A silence fell, this one tense and charged. Ginny shifted, the tightness of the dress Cara had chosen for her constricting.

"Get it, Doctor." 

She jumped, looking over at the bar where the voice had come from. Three members of the Padres were leaning against the counter, grinning at them. Mike glared at them. 

"Don't the three of you have anything better to do?" He snapped. 

Ginny put her hand on his arm. "I should go." She said. "I'm technically still working and I need to find something to put in my article." 

Mike nodded, before turning back to the three players. "How about you mooks make yourselves useful." He jerked his head, motioning for them to walk over. Tommy Miller shook his head and stayed at the bar but Sonny Evers and Giovanni Salvamini walked over. "This is-" Mike began. 

"We know who she is." Evers cut him off. 

"Duarte's been reading her article about him non stop to the clubhouse." Salvamini added, crossing his arms. "You've got talent." 

"Even if you have terrible choice in subjects." Evers mumbled. Ginny tilted her head. 

"I write what my editor tells me to write." She said, looking around the party. "He sent me to write about the gala." She grinned. "Can I get a quote from you guys?" 

Evers and Salvamini looked at each other. "I dunno." Evers said slowly. "I'm probably never going to unhear that Duarte puff piece..." 

"Oh well." Ginny shrugged. "I mean, Livan already gave me enough to write my article, but it would have been nice to have another point of view..." 

The two players seemed to reach an agreement. 

"Join us for a drink?" Salvamini said. "We'll give you more quotes than you can handle." 

Ginny looked over her shoulder as they led her to the bar. Mike was shaking his head in exasperation. "Thanks Mike." She said as she passed. His expression grew soft. 

"Thank me at coffee." He murmured. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike walked into his house, pulling off his tie, and not bothering to turn on his lights. He shut his eyes, trying to banish the image of Ginny from his mind. Her anger, her relief when he'd told her that he wasn't back with Rachel and the small glimmer of happiness when she'd agreed to coffee. 

And that dress. He rubbed his eyes, sinking onto the couch cushions and glared at the wall. He wasn't going to lie to himself and pretend that he wasn't going to have some very specific thoughts about that dress. 

His phone buzzed, the sound echoing strangely in the dark glass interior. It was a text. He turned it over, his breath catching as he saw Ginny's name. It was a simple word. 

Tomorrow. 

He wasn't going to stare at the text all night, analyzing what it could possibly mean...he was also completely lying. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His answer came the next morning at 5 am. There was a knock at his door. He opened it, gaping as he took in Ginny standing in his threshold. She looked like she hadn't slept. She held out a cup of coffee. 

"Hey." He said, wondering if his sleep deprived brain was conjuring up hallucinations, because a rumpled Ginny Baker wearing a sinful red dress that hugged her every curve handing him a cup of coffee as the sun came up behind her was definitely too good to be true. 

"Hey yourself old man." Ginny glanced at the cup. "I...I've been up all night making my deadline...and when I got home...my roommate had a ...guest over. So I went to a 24 hour coffee place and drank about 3 cups and..." She hesitated. "I got to thinking. I went to the beach. Jumped into the water." Mike's treacherous eyes raked down her body and yes...she was dripping wet, the red dress even tighter on her. He licked his lips. "Then I got this call from my editor." She stopped, letting the comment hang between them. 

"You should come in." He stood aside.

Ginny shook her head. "I just came by to gave you this." She held up the cup. "And this." She slid her hand over his chest, her forehead pressing against his. She smelled like coffee and salt water. He closed his eyes, hardly daring to believe this was real. 

Her lips brushed his before she stepped back. 

"What was that for?" He breathed, his eyes blinking open. She gave him dazzling smile. The moment was ruined by the paper hitting the side of his house as the kid who delivered it zoomed by on his bike. Ginny picked it up, handed it to him. 

"I'd read the sports section." She turned and left, walking down to the uber that was waiting for her. 

Mike held the paper and coffee; the proof that he hadn't hallucinated the whole thing. Shutting the door, he opened the paper, pulling out the sport's section. Ginny's article was front and center. He scanned it, shaking his head at the self aggrandizing quotes she'd gotten from Salvamini and Evers when he saw the author bio. 

Ginny Baker is the newest permanent member on the San Diego Tribune's sports staff. 

He pulled out his phone and shot off a text. 

_Guess this means that I'm stuck with you in San Diego._

 

 

 

 

 

From the back of her uber, Ginny opened Mike's text and grinned. She'd been overwhelmed when Oscar had told her that morning. He'd made the decision after reading her piece on the gala. Apparently her dedication to a complete lack of sleep coupled with her grasp of the basic tenets of the English language had convinced him he had to have her full time. (It probably didn't hurt that she'd gotten more quotes from any of the Padres than any other reporter at the paper). 

A text came in from Livan, congratulating her and telling her to go easy on the abuelo because the team still needed a doctor. Sal and Sonny followed up with their thanks and promises that she could have any quote she wanted from them. Evelyn sent her a bunch of exclamation points and a promise that as soon as she could visit she wanted every detail about everything. 

Coming to San Diego had been the best split second decision of her life. She had a job, friends who supported her and most importantly she was going to be able to figure out herself. 

Her fingers hovered over her phone as she thought of the best response. 

_I hope you like coffee old man_


End file.
